Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods of pairing devices in a wireless personal area network.
Background of the Related Art
Various modern electronic devices are equipped with hardware and software systems for exchanging data over short distances using a wireless technology standard to form a personal area network (PAN). One such wireless technology standard is known as Bluetooth™ (a trademark of the Bluetooth Special Interest Group) and is set out in IEEE 802.15.1. For example, a computing device, such as a laptop computer, table computer or mobile smartphone, may meet the Bluetooth SIG standards and may therefore be referred to as a Bluetooth™ device. This capability may be included in original equipment or may be added as a Bluetooth™ USB dongle or internal Bluetooth™ card.
A personal area network, such as Bluetooth™, is particularly useful for establishing short range connections between devices for the purpose of providing a service. The process of establishing such a connection between two compatible devices may be referred to as “pairing”. For example, a computing device may be setup to discover any nearby Bluetooth™ compatible devices. After discovery such as device, a user of the computing device may determine whether or not to pair with a second device or accessory, and indicate whether to allow subsequent automatic connections between the two devices when in range. For example, some automobiles are equipped with Bluetooth™ capabilities and allow automatic connections when a particular device is in range. This avoids having to repeatedly perform manual pairing steps and decisions.
However, when multiple Bluetooth™ devices are in range, auto-pairing may still require manual user action in order to establish the desired connection. For example, a computing device, such as a smartphone, may typically have a pairing with a speaker device but a user may currently desire to pair the computing device with computer to facilitate file transfers. Still further, the user's automobile that typically pairs with the computing device may also be in range on the computing device. When there are several compatible device s to pair with, this presents a problem. Specifically, a user must manually select the device or devices with which to pair at the present time.